[Slackaveli]

Excellent but also racist this master-slave thing with the mentor.

unfortunate terminology. we used to use it alot in the PC world but then changed that to Mother/daughter at some point.

 

[Erick Muller]

unfortunate terminology. we used to use it alot in the PC world but then changed that to Mother/daughter at some point.

Yep, I know, I'm just doing a little bit of trolling, not really have any kind of problem with the terminology, given the context.

 

[Slackaveli]

So you are saying definitely don't get the Titanium grey and make it a master over the coal black model? LOLOL. Better get the matching pair after all...

 

[Bluesburger]

It’s all good if you just switch master and slave every week.

 

[Slackaveli]

It’s all good if you just switch master and slave every week.

the American way!

 

[Lvivske]

Excellent but also racist this master-slave thing with the mentor.

that a joke?

 

[Slackaveli]

Just to illustrate a little about what it's like for Flux working in a warzone. They can't ship out anything by air from Ukraine. Everything is trucked to Poland (the nearest UPS Hub). Wild.

 

[newToAudio100]

that a joke?

I hope so.

 

[newToAudio100]

Just to illustrate a little about what it's like for Flux working in a warzone. They can't ship out anything by air from Ukraine. Everything is trucked to Poland (the nearest UPS Hub). Wild.

That's some true dedication. The delay is understandable.

 

[newToAudio100]

Any more impressions with susvara/abyss ab 1266 phi tc?

 

[Slackaveli]

That's some true dedication. The delay is understandable.

Yeah. The entire country is a no-fly-zone.

 

[nighthink]

The Mentor is a dual mono headphone amplifier with single ended only output. Thus the Flux Lab Acoustics website provides only one output rating and not different numbers for single ended and balanced out.

I know this should be already clear and closed, but what is then the difference between dual mono Mentor and dual mono MJ3? Both have dual mono architecture, but MJ3 is also fully balanced, from the inside out, as Schiit specifies. Mentor is only fully balanced when in dual-stack mode?

I think most people use MJ3 anyway in the SE mode, which basically (I think) is the same operation mode as the Mentor, but there is a switch to turn it into balanced output mode with a single unit. So Mentor only can be operated in SE mode. I'm just confused if this can be considered a disadvantage of Mentor (in comparison to MJ3) or if this is just nothing to talk about (in terms of sound).

 

[Erick Muller]

I know this should be already clear and closed, but what is then the difference between dual mono Mentor and dual mono MJ3? Both have dual mono architecture, but MJ3 is also fully balanced, from the inside out, as Schiit specifies. Mentor is only fully balanced when in dual-stack mode?

I think most people use MJ3 anyway in the SE mode, which basically (I think) is the same operation mode as the Mentor, but there is a switch to turn it into balanced output mode with a single unit. So Mentor only can be operated in SE mode. I'm just confused if this can be considered a disadvantage of Mentor (in comparison to MJ3) or if this is just nothing to talk about (in terms of sound).

The main difference with the mentor is that it has way more power than the MJ3 and if you use it in dual mono mode, you have absolutely dumb levels of power, and MJ3 has proper pre-out implementation and Mentor doesn't have any pre-outs at all, so that's another major consideration, take your pick and what best suits your system and needs.

 

[Ichos]

I know this should be already clear and closed, but what is then the difference between dual mono Mentor and dual mono MJ3? Both have dual mono architecture, but MJ3 is also fully balanced, from the inside out, as Schiit specifies. Mentor is only fully balanced when in dual-stack mode?

I think most people use MJ3 anyway in the SE mode, which basically (I think) is the same operation mode as the Mentor, but there is a switch to turn it into balanced output mode with a single unit. So Mentor only can be operated in SE mode. I'm just confused if this can be considered a disadvantage of Mentor (in comparison to MJ3) or if this is just nothing to talk about (in terms of sound).

The Schiit MJ3 is dual mono, fully balanced and differential topology. You have to stack dual Mentors for the same topology.

This doesn't have to do anything with sound performance and the overall sonic character of the amplifier.

Topology is just a means for the engineer to achieve it's goals.

Which amplifier has the best sound that meets your preferences, it's up to you to decide.

PS - One objective advantage of the MJ3 vs a single Mentor is that the former will keep a balanced signal input, intact without converting it to single ended. So if you have a fully balanced DAC and you are obsessive with keeping the signal intact you might prefer the MJ3.

 

[nighthink]

The main difference with the mentor is that it has way more power than the MJ3 and if you use it in dual mono mode, you have absolutely dumb levels of power, and MJ3 has proper pre-out implementation and Mentor doesn't have any pre-outs at all, so that's another major consideration, take your pick and what best suits your system and needs.

yes exactly, that's my goal to pick what best suits. But because I lack here some knowledge, I'm not fully confident that I won't lose something with Mentor.

PS - One objective advantage of the MJ3 vs a single Mentor is that the former will keep a balanced signal input, intact without converting it to single ended. So if you have a fully balanced DAC and you are obsessive with keeping the signal intact you might prefer the MJ3.

Thanks, that helped. Just one more thing: What is then MJ3 in the SE mode (this purest Class A performance as they call it) - still fully balanced SE?

I have a true balanced DAC and I plan to use a balanced XLR connector on the headphones, and want to connect dac and headamp with balanced XLR cables. One would expect for best performance to have true balanced also headamp in between. Single mentor is dual mono, but not truly balanced.

Whether I'm obsessive with keeping that signal, I don't know , never had to solve such thing before. But on the other hand, it seems to me only logical to insist on preserving that balanced signal..

eeh and I was already decided to order the Mentor.. Now I'm back in the analysis phase ... After all this self-brain-demolishing torture I will definitely need some "mentoring".. so Mentor seems to be still more relevant..